The Prince
by Suicidal Fantasy
Summary: The Prince's story. I don't own Howl's Moving Castle.


The Prince was in a bind. He was lost, again. He had decided to go for a walk through the town and had turned the wrong way down a street; which happened routinely as he wasn't allowed out of the castle often. Searching for a castle guard, or a kind soul, the Prince continued down the street. The town was strangely quiet on this night. Most of the homes already had their lights off and the streets were empty. He could find no one to help him. The houses were getting smaller, and more dilapidated the further he walked, but he was scared to turn around and try another way; he would just get more lost.

"Get out, get out! How dare you try to steal my turnips again! Pesky boy!" The decrepit voice of an old woman sounded from around the corner.

The Prince ran towards the voice. _I'm sure she can help me!_ He thought hopefully. As the Prince turned the corner, he saw a feeble old woman hobbling after a young boy waving a cane in the air. The old woman yelled a spell and pointed her cane at the boy, as the boy collided into the Prince and fell down. A sparkling blue orb flew straight from the end of the woman's cane and hit the Prince in the chest. The boy ran off down the alley, unharmed. The Prince's body glowed blue and lifted off the ground. As he hovered in the air, his body began changing. The handsome Prince's blond hair all fell out, and a straw hat grew in its place. His face melted off, and his head turned into a turnip. Black dots and and a stitched black line appeared on the turnip as his eyes and mouth. His body became limp and lifeless. His clothes turned from a royal yellow suit to a dingy gray black suit. Two sticks shot through his clothes: one through his sleeves, and one up the bottom of his pants. Gloves appeared on the end of the stick through his sleeves, and his pants hung loosely against the stick through his pants.

The old woman froze in fear.

"Oh my, oh my! I didn't mean for this to happen! I'm sorry; I can't fix you though. The only way to get rid of the spell is your true loves kiss. I was sure that brat wouldn't find true love for years to come! Then he couldn't steal my turnips anymore!" She turned and hobbled back into her house muttering about the poor turnip scare-crow boy.

The Prince tried to call out her name, until he realized his voice didn't work anymore. He couldn't speak with a turnip for a head and no real mouth. _Well, What am I supposed to do now? _The Prince hopped after the old woman, and she ignored him. He followed her around for three months, until she said she knew of a way to help him. She told him the Witch of the Wastes could return him to his original form. She gave him directions to the Wastes and sent him on his way.

The Prince hopped for days to get to the Wastes. His scare-crow body did not tire as easily as a human body did, and he did not need nourishment; his journey was easier than if he was human. Few people noticed him, and none even cared about him. To them, he was just some fool who upset a wizard or a witch.

The Prince was very lonely on his journey to the Wastes. He couldn't imagine how the kingdom would react to the fact that he was missing. He was also worried about what his kingdom would think of him if they knew how weak willed he was that such a weak witch could cast a horrible spell on him. His thoughts were his only company; he couldn't even sing to occupy his time as he had no voice with which to sing.

On a very windy day, the Prince was headed up a mountain. According to the old woman's directions, the Wastes were just over this hill. As he reached the top of the hill, a swift breeze picked him up and carried him down the hill. The wind deposited him upside down in a bush. The Prince was stuck.

He was not sure how long he was upside down; it seemed as if many days and nights passed. The Prince was struggling to get right side up again when he heard a voice. It was that of another old woman_. What kind of spell will this one cast on me_? Thought the Prince_. Maybe she won't even notice me. I'm sure only the stick is where she can see it_. Before the Prince knew what had happened, the old woman pulled him out and sat him right side up.

She thought he would make a good walking stick, she explained. She told him her name was Sofie. The Prince was able to see through spells; and immediately saw the spell on Sofie which made her an old woman. She was actually a young girl. Sofie began calling him Turnip-head. The Prince followed Sofie into the Wastes; he was headed there too. She asked if he could find her shelter. He hopped ahead of her. He remembered stories of a giant moving castle in the Wastes. Supposedly it belonged to the wizard Howl. According to the rumors at court, Howl ate young beautiful girls hearts. The Prince had heard confidential talk among the magicians at the castle of Howl though, and he was sure Howl would do no such thing to Sofie; even if he saw through her spell. It didn't take long for the Prince to find the castle. He quickly retraced his steps and led Sofie to Howl's moving castle. Sofie was welcomed into Howl's castle quickly and the Prince continued to follow her, even though he did not go into the castle.

The weeks after the Prince took Sofie to Howl's castle brought adventure and fear. Sofie began a strict cleaning routine and Howl's castle had never looked better. While Sofie was actually enjoying her time as an old woman, she was looking for ways to break the spell on Howl and Calcifer (a fire demon who was tied to Howl). The Prince was scared for Sofie. She was only thinking of Howl, Markl (Howl's apprentice), Calcifer, and himself. She never worried about herself, or if Howl would be gone and not protect her. The Prince thought Howl was too childish to have so many people to depend upon him. Sofie did what was asked of her, not worrying about the possible consequences.

Markl had told the Prince of Sofie's trip to the palace and of the war between his country and theirs (though Markl had no clue of that). The witch of the waste and Heen, Madame Soliman's dog, had become two more mouths to feed on Howl's castle, and neither paid mind to the Prince. She had lost most of her powers as a result of her trip to the palace, where she met Sofie. Markl was a great source of information. The Prince feared that the war began because of him. The spell on Sofie was slowly being broken, as she was finding the strength deep inside herself.

The Prince slowly fell in love with Sofie, as he watched her fall in love with Howl. Sofie was brave and courageous; she always sought to do right, even when the lines were blurred.

One day, Howl moved their castle, and the Prince could not follow. The Prince's spell was too strong for Howl to move the castle with him. The Prince watched over the town that Howl had moved to from the hill he had met Sofie on. He also stayed near the castle in the Wastes in case Sofie came to visit. The war got worse and the Prince worried more and more about Sofie's well being. The night the bombs started, the Prince stayed outside of Howl's castle. He was waiting on Sofie. Howl would go out to protect Sofie. Sofie would try to protect them all, and the Wastes were the only place not being bombed as people tended to stay away from the Wastes.

Sofie did not disappoint the Prince. She broke the tie Howl and Calcifer made to the town and in the process, broke Howl's castle. The witch of the Wastes had figured out the spell binding Calcifer and Howl and stole Calcifer so that she could have Howl's heart. The Prince wasn't sure exactly how it happened, but Sofie and Heen got separated from the witch, Markl, and Calcifer, and the Prince could not find Sofie. The Prince stayed with Markl, the witch and Calcifer, knowing Sofie would find her way back to them. The moving castle had been decimated when Sofie broke the tie to the town, and it was nothing more than a moving platform now. The witch hid Howl's heart and Calcifer in her hands and covered it with her body. Markl was scared of what would happen to Howl and Calcifer and took comfort in the witches presence and curled up by her side. The Prince stood watch as best he could. He was watching for any sign of Sofie, Heen, or Howl. He was waiting for his turn to save Sofie as she had unknowingly done for him. He never would have gotten out of that bush without her; He never believed he would find true love as a scare-crow, but he had. She had been so good to him, even though he was just an annoying scare-crow who followed her around like a love sick puppy.

He saw Howl, in a monstrous bird form, flying over the horizon. Sofie was on his single talon and Heen was next to her. Howl landed on the platform and collapsed. He had returned to his human body. Sofie ran to the old witch and spoke to her in whispers too quiet for the Prince to hear. The Prince watched her hug the witch and then kiss her on the cheek. The old witch handed Howl's heart and Calcifer to Sofie and she ran to Howl. The Prince was not sure what she was doing, but she seemed to know. Sofie spoke to Calcifer and then pressed him to Howl's chest, where his heart should be. It was quiet. Markl was sitting next to Howl. He and Sofie were holding their breaths in anticipation. Howl wasn't breathing or moving. A blue orb burst out of Howl's chest as Howl inhaled. Calcifer begin yelling excitedly as he flew around in the air. The Prince was shocked. Sofie was amazing. He could not believe that she broke the spell without hurting either Howl or Calcifer.

The platform began to topple. It could not hold itself together without Calcifer. It slid down the hill. Sofie (holding Howl), Markl, Heen, and the witch were doing all they could to stay on the platform. The Prince realized he could finally repay Sofie for all she had done for him, even if it cost him his life. He hopped over Sofie and Howl in front of the sliding platform. The stick holding him together was quickly breaking apart under the friction and stress of the weight of the platform. The hill ended abruptly at a drop off. The Prince managed to stop the platform holding Sofie and the others right before the drop off. The stick snapped in half, the Prince flew in the air. The platform fell off the hill and got stuck between the hillside and a rock and the Prince landed limply on the platform. Sofie thanked him for saving them and gave him a kiss on his stitched smile.

Magic surrounded the Prince once again, and lifted him off the ground. His clothes changed colors from black to a bright yellow. The Prince was deposited on the ground, limply, and slowly stood up. His back cracking slightly. He smiled at Sofie and explained his curse to them. The old witch commented that his true love was in love with someone else, but the Prince already knew that. He had sit back, not that he could do anything else, and watched Sofie fall in love with Howl. Sofie was so gentle and tender; she was kind and courageous. Howl was still growing up. Sofie needed a man to protect her; someone more mature than her. The Prince feared that if he did not interfere Sofie would be a mother figure to Howl for the rest of her life. Howl's childishness and immaturity far outweighed his relationship experience. He watched as Sofie treated Howl, and checked on him, and the Prince could feel the tightening in his heart.

The Prince had to leave to put a stop to the war, but he wasn't going to give up on Sofie. Sofie may thinks she loves Howl, but Howl was not the best for her. As the Prince flew (with Howl's help) back to his castle, he promised himself he wouldn't give up. The Prince would be back for Sofie.


End file.
